Tire repair



TllRE REPAIR Thomas W. Mullen, Evansville, Ind.

Applicationlune 29, 1956, Serial No. 594,962

liClaims (Cl. 152-367) This .application is a continuationinfpart of my application, `Serial No. 467,944, filed November vl0, 1954.

This invention relates to ,a 'tire frepair, particularly adapted to tubeless Ttires. :With the advent-of lthe -tubeless tire, a new approach to repairing the tire such as :when it k,has .been punctured is required. Particularly iis this true to avoid having to -demountthe tire from-the rim more than is absolutely necessary :so that -the airiseal between ,the bead of the -tire and '.fthe grim viiange lis not broken nor damagedasitfmight be inmemovingfthe Ytire from therim.

'A primary purpose -of course is `toprovide a :repair whereby fthe -tire will hold air .withoutfurther leakage.

,In-accomplishing the primary object of1theinvention, it fis a purpose toemploy arepair :member h,body which is easily :andfreadily,deformablelaterally-yet substantially non-stretchable rlongitudinally :and .which 'will :in Yeffect become a @reinforcing member ,extendngzthrough the .tire. vA punctured )hole in l a tire v isY rarely a smooth walled hole but to thecontra1y; is fa rtear'producing irregularpits and projections. Therefore, asuccessful rrepairmerriber .must be readily, ,laterally deformable so :that it :may adjust itself b y iilling in and around these :irregularities 'appearing falong `,the fwall of athe .puncture rhole 1in effect cold owing laterally since it is :the repair frnember tbody :and not a rubber fplug, `a cement, :or ,a fluid filler :in the absence y.of vwhich :must till the hole primarily :with the laterally deformable but longitudinally :nonstretchable body .tofmake .la permanentfrepair. The invention .does include a :tacky -.or flowable medium carried :on y'the `-primarybody material, this medium beingtemployedrtofain seal `-theintersticesfbetweemthefbers.of -thesbodymaterial and .also ,to air-seal zoff lwhat irregular interstices may originally :sexist between v,the :material :and 1 the ywall of ,the puncture gehele. Thisemedium imay :furtherihave fthe :property r:f :softening or dissolving .tto a :slight exremtthe itire rubberin,thewallabollt;the:puncturehole.

.-A still-further importantcbjecttof fthe-,invention resides in the simplicity -of making the `repair and also :in 'the durability andA lon g;l i`fe thereof.

4These `Vand many .other tobjets and advantages :of .lthe invention Ywillbecomeidppttrentto those versed in the art in fthe 4following description :of :one :particular vform :of the Vinvention as illustrated rin the accompanyingfdrawing, in -which:

,Fig :1 isa .view in radial 4.section fthroughza representative tire tread to whichthenventioniis applied;

Fig. I2;,is a ,vie-w on :an renlargedfscale tof thelowerend of the .tool employed lin tpositioning `the -repair;4 and .-Fig. 3 is ,a detail in: radial ,sectional viewon anfenlarged scale 'through -a .tire puncture ihole :with .the vinvention applied.

,The ,leak in Ithe tire Kmay be .readily .detected by -running soap .sudstortany buhblysubstance .thereover ,This can be done without taking 4the tire :off Lof the rim .on which .the tireis mounted.

f it is contemplated 'that the .repair Ybe -made While :the

nited States Patent tire is vnormally Ainflated vor .at least still nsably Iinated Patented Aug. 20, 1957- iCC although the repair may be readily made with thetire in `a deflated ;condition. Preferably the tire is-over-inated kso that whenthe'air is allowed to escape .backtolnornial pressure ffrom the tire through the tire valve after' the repair has been made, the hole will have -va-ten'dency to decrease in crossesection and allow the :hole wa1l=tocom ,press against the repair which tis inserted ithrou'gh Lthe puncture =hole. That is, the tire Vis preferably inflated .until `theipuncture hole may bedilate'dfbeyond thatfcaused by normal tire inationsothattthere will be an increased Ygripping effect on vthe Ytire .repair -carried through that rpuncture hole upon .the repair bein-g subjected to :norm-ril operating pressure.

An yawl 10 is provided 4withfa `lowerrend f-1l1 widened and longitudinally cupped as `at 12, torhave ahole 13 therethrough. YThe lower` en'd'i-14-is-made somewhatblunt .although'it isy tapered to: a roundedpoint.

The :repair itself comprises generally a length o'f'twine wherein yseveral lstrands Aof --bers 1 may -beloosely twisted togetherto forma soft twine. @ne important characteristic 0f tthe twine `is that 4it :be 'laterally compactible and freadily :deformable ain `cross-section, and easily ldisplaceable 'laterally by the `hole'wall irregularities. The twine is preferably 'twisted :lso 'that vthere be spaces or interstices between strandsand individual fibers Vto receive a coating. .The twisting Vof theiibers informing the ktwine provides fafsomewhat 1outer yroughene'd f surface with indentations therein, into which, portions of twine brought-up thereagainst in another length may'extend and interlock.

Anotherimportant.characteristic of the twine is ithat it -,be substantially nonestretchable `rlongitudinally o'f yits length. 1Furthermore Athis fmaterial must 'be Leasily Ifoldable through'a sharp Ibend permitting the material to'be folded back vuponiitself rthrough la bend .compressible Aor deformable laterally into the lspace vnot to exceed the thickness of I;two sideby yside lengths o'f the twine.

Theterm twine2is employetl'hereinl in a generic sense, the term including'string,fcord,1and yarn.

This 'twine :may 'be `rna'de Vout 'of Ia numberfof vmaterials including jute, Ihemp, silk, fflax V(linen), cotton, synthetic fibers :or :strands-fand the like.

Preferably the surfaces of such twine are left Iin ya rather rough state. vThat is, there vare ends -of Vtheindividual fibers-.protrudingfrom the-twine.

`In anyy event, regardless of what l twine material -of Vthis natureiis selected, a second element'ofthe tire repair is appliedito 'the twine.

This second element consists of -a 'lilm of material adhering to the ftwine Iand the tibers making up the twine, this zfilm beingemployed as a me'dium for lling and airsealing theinterstices betweenlibers,` and between strands, and between the twine and the-surface of the vpuncture hole. .'Itis 'to be'understoodithatthe twine'primarilylls that hole vand that the air-sealant =wliile saturating `the twine does Anot-appreciably'enlarge Lthe over-all diameter ofthe twine, but only is present Aessentially as a tilm'coating. The "twinefremains asthe cross-'sectionall'y deformable and longitudinallyinonstretchablebody o'fthe'rep'air occupying'th'e full volume ofthe puncture V,hc'slei'less the innitesimal volume of the-coating `on the outer 'exposed surface'offthe twine. The-coating material may be` termed a'bedding agent forlthe twine, n

The'second element of 'the'tire repair mediumgmaybe :myv one `or a mixture o'f a wide variety of substances. For-example, the fs'eco'nd element Jmaybe 'a mixture of rubber or Vrubber-like latex, pine rosin, petrolatum yand Y a petroleum solvent such as gasoline. Fit-maybe any o ne of thefollowing materials; ia synthetic rubber-'like plastic; rubber, :synthetic or znatiural, ;cure`d .or semiaCured, vwith an accelerater added-if desired; ;s1ight1yfdecompiosedrubber; a bitumen alone or mixed with a rubber-like latex; a bitumen with a ller such as ground or nely divided cork, rubber, or brous material such as asbestos. Any elastomer is usable.

The common essential characteristic of these materials .constituting the second element is that the material must be deformable, preferably elastically so, whether in a uid or solid state, and that this characteristic remains through the wide range of temperatures within which tires are required to operate. This characteristic embodies the factors of softness, flexibility and pliability.

In the tluid type of this second element, it would be ygummy, highly viscous, and yet flowable within and around the twine when squeezed and gripped under the elasticity of the rubber of the tire about the puncture hole.` In the solid state, such as in rubber cured or semicured the material, the same as the tluid type, is practically incompressible, but is deformable and flowable under stress, the volume of the material in either case remaining practically constant although ilowed into different shapes as determined by the change in shape under usage by the wall about the puncture hole. The hole, with the repair inserted therethrough, becomes in effect, a closed off vessel with ends of the twine presented at each end. The extent of deformation of this second element is therefore controlled largely by the extent of deformation of the twine element. It is considered for the purpose of description herein that the cured rubber and the other forms of rubber are owable into deformed states and flow back elastically into their original condition. The more Huid-like materials should have a tacky consistency for high adherence to the twine fibers, the exposed edges of the fabric in the tire, and the surface of the puncture hole.

The impregnating material is not primarily a cement although it may incidentally assume that function. The important feature, in summary, is that it is ilowable laterally of the twine under the enveloping pressure of the wall of the puncture hole while the constrictive force on the twine resists longitudinal ilow in quantity therealong, although the twine when constricted may serve as a wick through which some longitudinally induced flow may occur as will hereinafter be explained. The air-sealant substance thus remains within the contines of the puncture hole cavity exing and owing about therein under exing and centrifugal forces set up in tire usage.

The air-sealant impregnated twine is cut into lengths of from ten to twelve inches although these lengths are not critical. These lengths of the impregnated twine are preferably packed in foil in sealed tubes to reduce exposure to the atmosphere until the repair is to be made. A content of petrolatum may be used as an effective setting-up retardent with a subsequent use.

A length of such twine has an end inserted through the hole or eye 13 of an awl 10 and brought up along the shank in substantially equal lengths such as is suggested in Fig. l in the left-hand portion of that View. The distance from the awl eye 13 to a gage line spaced from the eye 13 along the awl shank, such as the lower end 13a of the handle 13b, is such that the end portions 18 and 19 terminate approximately at that line.

When the puncture has been located in the tire 15, the blunt end 14 is entered into the puncture with the twine 16 carried upwardly therealong and the awl is pushed downwardly to carry the loop 17 of the twine 16 within the tire to have the gage line 13a strike the tire 15 as an insertion limit whereby the loop 17 is positioned well within the tire 15 and the short end lengths 18 and 19 are left exposed on the outer side of the tire 15. These lengths may be in the neighborhood of from one to one and one half inches.

The twine 16, particularly if there is a grease, such as petrolatum, content in the second element is rather easily applied by forcing the point 14 of the awl 10 down through the puncture hole in the tire 15 to carry the loop 17 within the tire although the awl point may be readily inserted in the absence of the lubricant. When that has been accomplished, the awl 10 is pulled back out of the tire a certain distance. This operation is illustrated in Fig. l to the right of the awl 10 where it has been initially inserted through the tire 15. When the awl 10 is pulled upwardly and out through the casing, the twine 16 having had the single loop 17 carried within the tire, is looped back upon itself so that each length of the twine 16a and 16h is in turn looped upon itself. In so doing, portions of these lengths 16a and 1Gb are pulled back through the hole designated by the numeral 20 whereby two loops 21 and 22 are formed in these lengths, both left within the tire.

The withdrawal of the awl 10 from the tire 15 is limited to that degree whereby these loops 21 and 22 are left inside of the tire 15 as indicated. Then the two end portions 18 and 19 and also the exposed portions of the lengths 16a and 16b are cut off on some such line as line CD, the line CD being preferably at the outer surface of the tire.

This will leave four ends or tufts of the twine exposed on the outside of the tire 15, while the loops 21 and 22 remain on the inside. These outer ends will soon Wear off, and in fact may wear down to leave a slight cup indentation in respect to the outer surface of the tire 15. This is preferable, so that there will be no tendency for the ends to remain exposed and possibly drag on surfaces when the tire is abruptly stopped in ordinary usage.

The insertion of the awl and the original lengths 16a and 16b through the puncture 20 does not enlarge that hole 20 but simply while inserted dilates and elastically crowds back the rubber of the tire. Neither does that operation further enlarge the fabric or cord break caused by the puncture. Then when the awl is withdrawn, after it has carried the lengths 16a and 16b through the tire 15, it pulls those lengths back up through the same hole lling in the expanded opening set up by the forcing of the awl 10 therethrough, so that in the end, there are actuallyv four lengths of twine extending through the hole 20 with the sealing-over loops 21 and 22 on the inside and the free four ends of the twine outside.

The lubricantif employed on the twine surface when it is inserted through the hole 20 is to a great extent scraped off as the twine passes through the hole 20. However any grease remaining or mixed in the coating does not interfere with any sealing action but rather aids in that the grease will dissolve the tire rubber about the hole wall to a small degree permitting that tire rubber to ilow about and against the twine into more intimate contact in the presence of the air-sealant substance. The tackiness of the twine fluid type coating substance helps the twine bers to inter-embed themselves with the substance to form an air-tight core, and at the same time come intimately close with the rubber of the tire.

Thus it is to be seen that the tire may be repaired by carrying the twine down through the puncture opening by the awl and then withdrawing the awl and cutting off the outer exposed portions of the twine. That is the entire operation of making the repair. It can readily be carried out by the car driver wherever he may encounter a puncture, all without having to remove the wheel from the car and the tire from the wheel rim.

Noting the right-hand position of the awl designated 'oy 10b, the awl 10b, has been carried by its lower end through the tire 15 to some such position as indicated by position 10e, wherein the twine 16 (having a length shorter than that shown in the left-hand position of the awl insertion) in its entirety is carried through the puncture 20al entirely within the tire 15 so that, at the insertion (dash lines), only the awl 10b is within the puncture hole 20a. Then the awl 10b is pulled outwardly to the solid line position, a distance limited to that whereby the ends `26 and 23 will remain within the tire 15 and the point 14'V of the awl b is entirely outside of the tire 15, whereupon the'twine is cut/ofi to leave `the free ends 24 and25 presentedexteriorly of -the tire '15. Therefore -it isto be Vseen -that in this instance, there are `but'twotwine lengths extended through the hole a. This form or method yis employed vwherein :the puncture hole 20a is relatively smaller .indameter than is ythe khole 20. In this case, there will be no loops between the lengths 16a and 16b,but there -willbethe -free end kportions 26 and l23 wherein Ythe tire 1S which will effectively prevent any tendency-of the two lengths'to travel longitudinally or radially through the tire wall V15 in actual usage. It is to V'beremembered that the portions of these lengths 16a and'16b which areconlined withinthe'hole 20a vare very positively ygripped by the compressive action of the yrubber surrounding the hole 20a together with the cords which may be present. This in effect causes the `effective diameter ofthe combinedlengths v 16a and 1Gb of the twine to be less than is `thecombiue'd diameters of the free end portions 26 and 23 .whichare not subjected to this compressive, 'laterally directed force.

Regardless of whether there be two or more strands of twine carried through the puncture hole, the particular characteristics of the twine of softness, non-stretching longitudinally, deformable, and compactible laterally or in cross-section with its air-sealant element added, set up the action in which the twine is deformed to conform locally to the puncture hole Wall irregularities-bending over projections, pressing into hollows, squeezing together in small diameter sections and filling larger sections, and infiltrating with broken ends of the tire cords presented at the hole wall as well as extending by frayed ends therein, with the air-sealant element cold flowing and filling in any interstices within the twine and between it and the hole wall irregularities, as indicated in Fig. 3.

The result of that action is that the twine is seized by the hole wall under urge of the rubber of the tire compressed in a zone around the hole wall when the awl is withdrawn, and this seizing is not around a cylindrical wall, but in a tortuous, most irregular shaping of the twine, al1 to the end that the twine in the hole-four strands or two strands-is so gripped in an interlocking manner, particularly in a zone intermediate the inner and outer faces of the tire, that the twine can not crawl longitudinally under hinge action of the tire tread, or under centrifugal force even when the tire is turning under load either at lower speeds or at high speeds.

This gripping action (not dependent on the air-sealant element) is in decided contrast to what is sometimes observed in heretofore repairs consisting of a rod or cylindrical length of rubber which, in order to be inserted in the puncture hole, has to be in the same order of resiliency as that of the rubber of the tire. The rubber plug, even through it may have ends exposed as heads on the outer and inner tire faces, being elastic and gripped Within the wall of the hole tends to walk toward the ends of the hole reducing in cross-sectional area, whereas the twine remains fixed in area.

Then, an important feature of the repair is found in the fact that, when the twine strands are pulled through the puncture hole from the inside toward the outside of the tire, there is a build-up of the air-sealant, designated by the numeral 30, around the exposed ends of the twine of the tire inner face, due to squeezing and stuffing action. Under tire usage, this build-up constitutes a reservoir of the sealant. But a greater reservoir of the air-sealant material exists within and on the inner loops 21 and 22 in the one example, and the end portions 23 and 26 in the other example. From this combined reservoir, the sealant is urged, under centrifugal action of the rotating tire, compressively about and into the twine which, also serving as a wick, feeds the sealant into the twine o ver a long period of operation. Even with use of semicured or cured rubber as the air-sealant, this build-up occurs and the centrifugal j pressure is effective inmain vtaining the air sealed condition.

Reference has been-made abovel to air-sealant `carrying solids suchas cork, rubber, and fibers removed 'fromithe twineflibersand the'like. Even'sand'wouldbe operable. The solids ywould be in discrete particlesand not in .a tiourllike powder state. iWhen suchforeign matterisincorporated in -the Iair-sealant substance, this -matter will become imbedded in the twine small enough in particle `sizeto work intothe ktwine between its fibers and also tend to force itself into lthe puncture hole wall under the laterally directed-restrictive wall'pressure. In so doing, not only are interstices and v oids filled, .but there is an interlocking action set'up between the deformed twine and `the deformed hole-wall. Furthermore .the foreign matter tends'to restrict centrifugal action `effect normally flowing the air-'sealant vlongitudinally of :the twine. action furtherjinsures'that'stresses yon the twine long'itudinally thereof are 'confined to theinnumerable llocalized rzones 'of the solid .matter particles interlocking the twine and hole wall so that overall, longitudinally directed stress on the twine is limited to practically nothing, and the longitudinally non-stretchable characteristic is not overcome to such a degree that would tend to rupture the twine.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in the one particular form, it is obvious that changes may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I therefore do not desire to be limited to that precise form beyond the limitations which may be imposed by the following claims.

I claim:

l. ln combination with a tubeless tire having a puncture hole, a tire repair comprising a fibrous twine material composed of interengaged individual fibers substantially non-stretchable longitudinally of a length thereof, said material filling said hole to be in substantial contact with the wall thereof, the material having said fibers generally disposed longitudinally of the hole; and said tire repair also having a flowable plastic material initially interspersed between and coating said fibers prior to insertion into the hole of the twine material and filling and airsealing the interstices between the fibers of the twine material; said plastic material comprising a member of the group of natural rubber, synthetic rubber, a bitumen and oil mixture, and a rubber pine-resin petrolatum mixture; said plastic material being characterized by remaining soft and flexible.

2. The structure of claim l in which said fibrous material comprises in twine form a member of the group of hemp, jute, cotton, flax, and synthetic fibers.

3. The structure of claim l in which discrete particles of solid materials are embedded in and are dispersed throughout said plastic material retarding flow of the plastic material longitudinally of said hole.

4. The structure of claim l in which a grease is added to said plastic material.

5. The combination with a tubeless tire constituting an inherently resilient carcass of rubber and substantially non-stretchable fabricated cords, and having a puncture hole therethrough bounded by an irregularly shaped wall of rubber and cord ends and lengths: of a tire repair comprising non-elastic, soft, fibrous twine material composed of individual fibers loosely assembled, primarily longitudinally of the twine and being substantially nonstretchaole longitudinally and readily compactible later ally of a length thereof; said twine extending ylongitudinally through and substantially filling said hole, the inherent resilience of the carcass causing the twine yto conform laterally to said irregularly presented wall thereof; and a flowable plastic air-sealant initially carried by said twine prior to entering said hole, coating said fibers and filling the interstices therebetween and contacting said hole wall; said air-sealant being characterized by being tacky during normal tire life.

` 6. The structure of claim 5 in which said air-sealant is a hardening-inhibited synthetic plastic.

7. The structure of claim 5 in which there are a plurality of side by side lengths of said twine extending through said hole and said lengths are folded back upon themselves within said tire externally of the hole and dening loops of the twine; said loops carrying said airsealant and constituting a reservoir in those loops of airsealant externally of the hole and in continuity with the air-sealant within the hole, supplying a feed back of the air-sealant along the twine to within the hole under usage of the tire.

8. The combination with a tubeless tire inherently resilient and having a puncture hole with an irregular wall therethrough, of a tire repair sealing said hole comprising a substantially non-stretchable length of fibrous twine substantially filling said hole; the resiliency of said tire causing said twine to conform laterally of the hole to said wall; said twine having a length protruding within the tire from the hole; a owable air-sealant coating the g bers of said twine and filling the interstices therebetween throughout the length thereof; land a reservoir of said air-sealant carried by said protruding nlength adapted to flow back about said fibers.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Y 553,562 Mix Jan. 28, 1896 602,052 Brauchler Apr. 12, 1898 610,594 Whitbeck Sept. 13, 1898 682,401 Bolton Sept. 10, 1901 725,171 Sutton Apr. 14, 1903 1,456,403 Ranney May 22, 1923 1,606,602 Stauffer Nov. 9, 1926 1,619,538 Pawsat Mar. 1, 1927 1,766,333 Forehand June 24, 1930 2,601,394 Hansen June 24, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 160,359 Great Britain Mar. 24, 1921 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A TUBELESS TIRE HAVING A PUNCTURE HOLE, A TIRE REPAIR COMPRISING A FIBROUS TWINE MATERIAL COMPOSED OF INTERENGAGED INDIVIDUAL FIBERS SUBSTANTIALLY NON-STRETCHABLE LONGITUDINALLY OF A LENGTH THEREOF, SAID MATERIAL FILLING SAID HOLE TO BE IN SUBSTANTIAL CONTACT WITH THE WALL THEREOF, THE MATERIAL HAVING FIBERS GENERALLY DISPOSED LINGITUDINALLY OF THE HOLE; AND SAID TIRE REPAIR ALSO HAVING A FLOWABLE PLASTIC MATERIAL INITIALLY INTERSPERSED BETWEEN AND COATING SAID FIBERS PRIOR TO INSERTION INTO THE HOLE OF THE TWINE MATERIAL AND FILLING AND AIRSEALING THE INTERSTICES BETWEEN TH E FIBERS OF THE TWINE MATERIAL; SAID PLASTIC MATERIAL COMPRISING A MEMBER OF THE GROUP OF NATURAL RUBBER, SYNTHETIC RUBBER, A BITUMEN AND OIL MIXTURE, AND A RUBBER PINE-ROSIN PETROLATUM MIXTURE; AND PLASTIC MATERIAL BEING CHARACTERIZED BY REMAINING SOFT AND FLEXIBLE. 